Midnight Sun
by Shimmering-Sky
Summary: Sequel to Blue Sky. A simple reunion turns into a struggle between light and darkness. This time, the shadows are determined to staunch out the light, using any means necessary to destroy their opponent, Sky. Will she succumb to the terrors forced on her? Or will she be able to push through them and defeat the darkness, even if it means killing one—or more—of her loved ones?
1. Chapter 1: Homebound

Me: Well, it's the first of June, and exactly half a year after I posted Crimson Feathers. I _did_ say I was going to post Midnight Sun in June, and now it is. So I have the first chapter.

Sky: I'm just going to sit here and prepare myself for the worst.

Me: Hah, the evil won't really make a giant appearance for a few chapters. I mean, there are some strange lines here and there in this chapter… *coughcoughthelastlinecough* But not flat-out deathdeathdeathdeathbloodandviolence blahblah.

Sky: But then after that…?

Lucy: Deathbloodviolenceamnesia MWAHAHAHAHA!

Sky: …Of course.

Me: Lucy! Don't talk about the amnesia twist!

Sky: Amnesia twist? On who?

Me: Urk! Um… not saying.

Sky: Is it me?

Me: Maybe.

Sky: …Yusei?

Me: Maybe.

Sky: *Sigh* Shoshan?

Me: Maybe. Come on, that'll be my response to _everyone_ you can come up with.

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: You're right, I should start now. Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and basically the entirety of this storyline because now the anime doesn't exist as a guide. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Midnight Sun!

**Chapter 1**

My Duel Runner skids to a stop, as does the one-wheeled one belonging to my opponent—my long-term rival and friend, Jack Atlas. He scowls at me, but ends up turning away and taking off again.

I don't blame him. We have Duels like these about once a year, and the title of King (or Queen, in my case) of Duels has passed between us quite a bit. The past year, Jack had the title, but I just beat him with a swift direct attack from _Celestial Dragon-Quasar_.

He'll congratulate me later, out of the eyes of the paparazzi. Right now, he's going to pull the angry-at-defeat card. Well, maybe that doesn't come too difficult for him and he isn't really acting, but everyone seems to think we have this rivalry even larger than the one Yusei created way back when he defeated Jack in the Fortune Cup.

Fat chance. Jack _still_ wants revenge on Yusei for knocking him of the throne the first time. Whatever rivalry the press has created between Jack and I will always pale in comparison to the one between Jack and my brother.

I pull my helmet off, running a hand through my hair, and then grinning at the camera. "See? You can't keep a queen down forever!" I shout.

The crowd cheers, and on comes the swarm of reporters.

**XXX**

Ugh, one of the things I don't mind when I'm the one that loses is that I don't get that much attention from the press—they always want to put the spotlight on the winner. This year, they seemed to _really_ badger me with questions.

So, Jack used _Red Nova Dragon_ for the first time in a _looooong_ time. So, I managed to outmaneuver his dragon without having to turn to a stalling strategy. I don't see what the whole fuss is about. Unfortunately for me, everyone else does, so that equals about five hours of constant questions. An hour longer than usual.

When I _finally_ get finished, I head back to the flat Shoshan and I are renting. I'm met by the scent of freshly-baked cupcakes. Specifically, chocolate ones. A grin replaces my exhausted scowl, and I exclaim, "Cupcakes!"

Ever since Shoshan made a batch of them after my first win as a pro duelist, I have loved the cupcakes immensely. In fact, I have a tendency to make childish outbursts like that exclamation when I smell them cooking or when they're cooling.

"Nn? Oh! Sky!" Shoshan jerks around, dropping whatever he was holding. It clangs against the floor a few times, making me think it was a pot. "Yep, cupcakes," he replies, once he gathers his bearings. "Congratulations for beating Jack!"

"Yeah, yeah," I wave it off and grab a cupcake off of the cooling rack and shove the entire top into my mouth. Because that's how I eat cupcakes—shove half of it into my mouth, bite that part off, chew it up, then eat the second half. "Mmm! Mrmphk mou!" I swallow my bite, "I mean thank you! They're as good as ever!"

"Y-You're welcome," Shoshan stutters, rubbing the back of his head.

I finish off the cupcake, and just in time, too, because a computerized voice announces, _"Incoming video call from…"_ a pause as the computer recognizes the name, _"…Yusei Fudo. Accept or deny?"_

"Accept!" I shout, because unless I'm asleep (well, sometimes even _when_ I'm asleep), I'm always glad to talk to my younger brother.

The TV blinks into color. Yusei appears on the center of the screen, and he seems to be in a small room—the one I recognize as his office at his work. Strange, he looks really tired… I mean, he's got some dark circles under his eyes. I'll have to ask about that… "Hi Yusei!"

"_Hi Sky,"_ he says, smiling. _"I didn't have the time to watch the full Duel, but you did a great job dealing with _Red Nova Dragon_."_

"Especially considering I certainly wasn't expecting him to use it," I note. "Eh, I've had enough of talking about my Duel. How've you been, Yusei?"

"_Busy,"_ he replies, sighing.

I wait for a few seconds to see if he's going to add anything to that. When he doesn't, I ask, "Busy with what?"

"_There's been an issue at work, and for some reason, I'm the only one who can fix it."_

An issue at work…? That's potentially dangerous, considering Yusei holds the job our father did before Zero Reverse… "What's the issue?"

"_I… I'm not allowed to say,"_ Yusei replies, swallowing. _"But I think I've finally got the entire thing under control—"_

Someone bangs on a door really loudly, and for a moment I think the person is knocking on _my_ door, but they're actually on Yusei's end. _"Doc—Mister Fudo! Trouble again!"_ a muffled voice calls from outside the office.

"_Give me a minute!"_ Yusei calls back. He sighs, _"Well, looks like I'll have to talk to you later, Sky. Maybe once I'm allowed to go home?"_

"Sounds good!" I reply, although now I'm _really_ curious as to what is going on. Especially since Yusei's colleague called it trouble… "Bye Yusei!"

"_Goodbye."_

Eh, I'm probably just reading too much into it. Besides, I'll be able to talk to him later… when I'll be able to tell him the news I was _going_ to before he had to go.

**XXX**

I just happen to be scrounging around for a snack at about two in the morning when Yusei decides to call back. I wasn't expecting the computer to just blurt out, _"Incoming video call from… Yusei Fudo. Accept or deny?"_

My response, at first, was to choke on a pretzel. Then I manage to croak out, "Accept…"

I'm still trying to dislodge the pieces of the pretzel from the inside of my throat when Yusei just starts talking. _"Sorry I'm calling so late… uh… bad time?"_

"You scared the crap out of me," I reply. "Two in the morning, Yusei? Seriously? You should be in bed."

"_So should you,"_ he points out.

"Late-night snack," I say. "What's your excuse?"

"_I just got home from work, sensed you were awake, and called like I said I would,"_ Yusei says.

Right. He sensed I was awake. We can't quite send coherent thoughts back and forth through our mind-link—the distance makes it weaker or something—but we _can_ tell how the other is feeling and if they're, you know, sleeping or not.

"Dang. That must've been a really bad problem, to keep you at work so long," I say.

Yusei nods, yawning. _"It lasted longer than the others."_

I blink in confusion. "…What?"

His mouth opens into a giant 'O'. _"D-Don't get the wrong idea! It's…" _he shakes his head. _"I'm sorry, I still can't tell you what's going on."_

"Please Yusei? You know I won't tell anyone," I say. My curiosity is really getting the better of me.

"_Still can't. It's a legal thing,"_ Yusei replies. He shrugs. _"Well… you looked like you wanted to say something before the end of our conversation earlier. What was it?"_

"Oh! Shoshan and I are coming to Neo Domino next week, and we'll be able to stay for a month or so!"

Yusei's face instantly brightens. _"That's perfect!"_ he exclaims. _"I was already planning a reunion for Team 5Ds… coincidentally, next week. You'll be able to see the others in person as well! …If they reply, anyways. I haven't heard back from Jack or Luna yet."_

"Well, I hope Luna comes. I haven't seen her at all," I say. I've talked to her on the phone, but not in person in… eight years. Wow, has it really been that long since we all went our separate ways?

"_I do too,"_ Yusei agrees. He yawns again.

"Alright, you need to get to bed," I say.

"_I know,"_ Yusei replies. _"See you in a week, then?"_

"See you in a week!" I echo, ending the call.

Yep… just one week and I'll be back where I really call home.

Little did I know, this was all a part of a plan created by two beings of darkness, trying to get rid of me—and Reshiram—for good…

**To be continued…**

Me: …And that's the end of the first chapter!

Sky: *Facepalm* Of course you had to fit in a dumptruck full of foreshadowing.

Shade: But of course. It's the first chapter. If none was used, then there would be no hook.

Meri: Unless the first chapter was just chock full of evil stuff. _Then_ there would be a hook. Hehehe…

Me: *Glares at Meri* Meri, stop talking.

Sky: Why? She wasn't spoiling anything… was she?

Me: …So, what did you all think of the first chapter?

Sky: Hey! That doesn't answer my question!

Me: Too bad! I don't have to answer all of them!

Sky: …Hmph. I'm taking it as a yes.

Me: …Okay. Well, I hope you all thought this was a good way to start. Please, leave a review or favorite/follow it if you want me to continue!


	2. Chapter 2: Domino Effect

Me: Geez, finally! I got writer's block or something and it took a lot longer than I expected to write this chapter.

Sky: Huh? Oh, you're updating Midnight Sun. Good, I want to know what the last line of the first chapter meant.

Shade: No you don't. You really don't.

Sky: What, _more_ evil stuff?

Lucy: Heck yes! Shimmer's even being nice enough to let us make this story not have a happy ending!

Sky: *Glares at me* WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU?!

Me: Eep! I… I'm sorry! It just… works so well…

Sky: Oh, and I bet that Crimson Feathers is going to have a happy ending, isn't it?

Me: …Eventually. Not in the near future, but eventually.

Sky: *Grumbles* That's not fair! _I'm_ the OC you made first! _My_ story should have the happy ending, not Angel's!

Me: But… but… CF has to, because I have a second-gen story for its universe.

Sky: …And not mine?

Me: *Rubs back of head* I only have the idea for one that could have worked in either universe, but this one already has enough spin-offs and alternate timelines…

Sky: …Hmph. Just post the chapter, then.

Me: Okay… Uh, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs… Enjoy…?

**Chapter 2**

I take a breath in and then let it out as a sigh of relief. We're in Neo Domino City. We're home.

Well, Shoshan and I are in the airport now, waiting for my luggage (Shoshan already has his), but still…

"Oh, I see your suitcase," Shoshan says abruptly. "I'll get it."

"Thanks," I say, still scanning the airport for my brother. He said he'd be here, but I don't see him. Hmm… I reach out through our mind-link, and quickly have my answer: Yusei is asleep. I can hardly blame him, and I actually think that's a good thing, since he's been so busy with whatever issue he's had at work…

"Alright, I got it," Shoshan says. "Any sign of your brother?"

"He's asleep," I reply.

"And you know that because…?" He shakes his head. "Never mind. I should know better."

I laugh a little. "Yeah, you should."

Shoshan joins in laughing with me for a few moments, but suddenly stops as curiosity crosses his face. He's looking behind me now. "Hey, is that—"

"Sky! Shoshan!" a familiar voice cries out.

I turn around, my smile growing wider. My magenta-haired friend is running across the airport to us, and man, has she changed a lot! Her hair isn't as long, but her bangs are styled the same way—without her stabilizer, I note. Not only that, but she isn't wearing that Victorian-style dress anymore. Instead, she has on jeans and a longsleeve shirt that matches her hair color, all underneath a white coat like doctors wear.

"Akiza! What a wonderful surprise!" I reply once she's at our side. "How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I'd say about ten minutes," she answers, returning my smile.

"No way! Our planes landed that far apart? What luck!"

Confusion writes itself onto Akiza's face for a moment, before she realizes the answer to what was making her confused. "Oh! No, I meant that I've been _here_—in the airport—for about ten minutes. I've been in Neo Domino for almost five days."

"Five days?" I ask. "I wish I could have gotten a ticket that early."

"I _was_ really lucky to get it in time," Akiza admits.

Now it's my turn to be confused. "In time for what? I'm pretty sure you're the first of us that's back. There wasn't _that_ much of a rush, was there?"

"I was transferred here after graduation, which was last week," she replies. "You didn't know that?"

"Apparently not… ah! But, uh, congrats for that!"

"Thanks," Akiza says. Then she claps her hands together, "Well, I only came to greet the two of you. I'm sure Yusei would like to see you, except—"

"He's at home, asleep," I interrupt. "Yeah, I know."

**XXX**

Sure enough, when we get to the old apartment, Yusei is passed out on the couch, a blanket haphazardly draped across him. When Shoshan accidentally slams the door behind him, all my brother does is grumble a little and roll over. Yep, he's _definitely_ out.

Nevertheless, Akiza glares at my blonde-haired, green-eyed friend. "Be careful! Yusei needs his sleep!"

"S-Sorry!" Shoshan whispers in reply.

The next hour or so is spent trying to keep as quiet as possible. Akiza is right. Yusei needs all the sleep he can get, considering whatever the issue is he's been having at work. After that hour, though, Yusei stirs and sits up, rubbing his eyes.

I stare at him with a smirk on my face. When he actually opens his eyes and looks at me, he stares back blankly for a few seconds. Then Yusei blinks, registers what he's seeing, and says, "Sky? When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," I reply.

"An… hour…" He turns to Akiza. "I told you to wake me up when it was time to go meet them in the airport."

The magenta-haired woman folds her arms across her chest and shakes her head. "You aren't a machine, Yusei," she says. "You're a person, and people need sleep. With all the hours you've been working, it was only a matter of time before you collapsed from exhaustion."

"You _do_ realize I managed to get a week off from work and could have slept at all _later_?" Yusei retorts. He shrugs, "Oh well, it's not like I can change that. How have you been, Sky?"

**XXX**

We spend the rest of the day catching up. Akiza tells us of her time in college, which is interesting enough in itself. And then there was this one point where she started talking in German, just to tease us. But she ends up leaving around seven—apparently she has the night shift.

So we get to hear from Yusei. Not about whatever the issue is, but about several other projects he's been working on. It's only when I start yawning that going to bed is even considered by any of us. "Mm… where can I sleep, Yusei?" I ask.

"Your old room," he replies, "I never messed with it. Oh, and Shoshan, you can sleep in my room. I don't mind the couch." He pats it a few times.

"Ah? No, no, I'll take the couch," Shoshan says. "You don't need to go through any trouble for me."

"Shoshan…" I say, shaking my head. I lean over and whisper into his ear, "You should listen to my brother. He might pull the Satellite card."

That's what I've dubbed it, when I use the fact that I grew up in Satellite to sway an argument with Shoshan in my favor. I've no doubt that my brother _will_ say that.

"Oh, alright…"

"Say, why can't he sleep in Crow or Jack's room?" I ask.

"Because Crow's coming tomorrow and Jack has explicitly told me not to let _anything_ into his room," Yusei replies. "Obviously Crow's going to want his room."

"Well… I can sleep in there tonight, and you can have your room," Shoshan says. "Then tomorrow… we'll figure something out."

"Hmm… that works," Yusei replies.

"Good," I say. "Then Yusei, make sure you actually get some sleep."

"I will, don't worry."

**XXX**

…Man, I must have _really_ missed this room, because I seriously get the most amount of sleep I've gotten in a while. It's nearly ten by the time I get out of bed, pull on some fresh clothes, and head downstairs.

"…Yes, yes, now you just need to close the program," I hear Yusei say with annoyance. Then he sighs, "Do I really…? The password is GOOD DAYS. All caps. …Good. Just… tell me if anything comes up. …Goodbye."

I walk up to Yusei just as he hangs up his phone and pinches the bridge of his nose. I raise an eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, the issue came up again," Yusei replies. "I thought I'd left Zigzix detailed instructions on how to fix it, but… apparently one of the assistants spilled coffee on it, and so he called me for help."

"Huh. Well, at least it's dealt with, right?" I reply.

"For now," he mumbles.

A timer dings, and Shoshan appears from behind me, turning off the timer and… Oh wow. He's made pancakes. He dishes some out to each of us, smiling. "Enjoy!"

Oh, I certainly do enjoy them. I absolutely _love_ pancakes. But while I'm eating my third one, I notice that Yusei has the TV on to a news station. The volume is turned almost all the way down, so I can't here it, but the caption says, "Another Duelist Vanishes into Thin Air". Next to the reporter's head is a video, likely of the event, which shows two young boys in Duel Academy uniforms Dueling. The young boy on the right activates a Trap Card, and then, for some reason, vanishes. His Duel Disk and cards simply fall to the ground.

"Hey, Yusei, you have any idea what that's going on about?" I ask.

"Hmm?" He looks at the TV and notices the news story. "Oh, that. It's… strange. For the past three weeks, there have been reports of either someone _in_ a Duel or simply watching one vanish. No one knows why, or what's actually happening to them." Yusei narrows his eyes at the TV, and adds, "I think it might have something to do with the issue I've been having at work."

"…And that is…?" I ask.

But he shakes his head, "I can't tell you. Sorry."

I frown, and finish my last pancake. Yusei's raising more questions than answering them, and it's really annoying me. I know, I should respect his privacy and everything, and he _did_ say that there were legal issues involved, but it doesn't help that I'm naturally curious.

"Oh! Look at the time!" Yusei suddenly exclaims. "Crow should be at the airport any minute now!"

**XXX**

Yeah, by the time we get there twenty minutes later, Crow's waiting impatiently—in the parking lot, for his Duel Runner, not us. It comes through right when we try to get his attention, and he gets all relieved that it's through, he doesn't realize we're here.

I fold my arms and tap my foot a few times, then shout, "Hey, we're over here, you orange-haired dodo!"

That gets his attention. "Who called me tha—Sky!" His scowl turns into a grin as he continues, "Yusei and… Shoshan, too! Nice to see you guys!"

I return the grin, and say, "Nice to see you too, Crow. Say, I still owe you that Duel, don't I?"

"That's right, you do!"

"Why don't we take your stuff back to the apartment, and then you can have your Duel?" Yusei asks.

Crow shrugs, "Fine by me."

**XXX**

Unfortunately, it ends up being a Ground Duel, because my Duel Runner decides to bug out for no apparent reason. Still, a Duel's a Duel, and I know neither of us is going to hold back.

"Mind if I go first?" I ask.

"It isn't gonna make a difference, but sure," Crow replies.

I smirk, "Be ready to eat those words, Crow. I'm not going to lose to you."

**Crow's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

I look at my hand. It's a perfect starting hand for going up against my bird-named friend. "Alright Crow, I'm starting things off with a change in scenery! I activate the Field Spell _Celestic Temple_!"

The field we're standing in changes into the inside of an ancient sanctuary, complete with pure white stone pillars, all with stars on them.

"This grants all of my 'Celestial' monsters an extra 500 Attack and Defense Points," I explain. "With that out of the way, I Summon _Celestial Angel_ to the field in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Angel ATK: 100 to 600, DEF: 100 to 600, Level 1**

A young girl with white hair and a dress of the same color appears on my field. She spreads out her wings—both of them covered in pure white feathers. Then the wings start glowing.

"Oh, and when _Celestial Angel_ is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon two 'Celestial' monsters from my Deck to join her," I add. "I choose _Celestial Synchron_ and _Celestial Knight-Venus_!"

**Celestial Synchron ATK: 700 to 1200, DEF: 1800 to 2300, Level 3; Celestial Knight-Venus ATK: 1700 to 2200, DEF: 1000 to 1500, Level 4**

The angel flaps her wings, and two spirals of stardust appear in front of her. When the wind stops, two monsters are in its place. The first, a golden robot shaped much like a star, and the second, a female knight with long, blonde hair and bright orange armor.

"Heh, going for _Quasar_ already, are you?" Crow asks.

"Not quite," I reply. "See, _Celestial Angel's_ ability allows me to activate _Celestial Synchron's_ ability, even though I didn't Normal Summon it. _Celestial Synchron's_ effect allows me to Special Summon _another_ 'Celestial' monster from my Deck, except it has to be Level 1. So… bloom, _Celestial Rose_!"

**Celestial Rose ATK: 0 to 500, DEF: 0 to 500, Level 1**

The star-robot turns into a circular platform. Light bubbles around above it, and when it vanishes, a rose with a mixture of silver and gold petals is resting on the platform. The rose grows a stem, thorns, and two leaves that seem to act more like tentacles, and hovers away from the robot as it morphs into its original form.

"And… that ends my turn."

"What, no face-downs or even a Synchro Summon?" Crow asks. "Man, you've changed."

"Oh, and you haven't?" I reply. "Let's see what your friends in America taught you."

He grins, "Fine, I will! It's my turn!" He draws his card and contemplates his hand. "Heh, I'll start things off with the Continuous Spell _Black Whirlwind_! Now, whenever I Normal Summon a 'Blackwing' monster, I can add another from my Deck to my hand, as long as it has less ATK than the one I Summoned."

A tornado of black feathers appears next to Crow, but it doesn't do much of anything else.

"Then I Summon _Blackwing-Shura the Blue Flame_ in Attack Mode!"

**Blackwing-Shura the Blue Flame ATK: 1800, DEF: 1200, Level 4**

The bird creature that appears has arms, legs, and two giant wings covered in black feathers. The feathers around his head are blue.

"And, thanks to _Black Whirlwind_, I can add _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ to my hand!" Crow continues. "But I'm not going to stop there, and I'm going to Special Summon the card I just added to my hand!"

**Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind ATK: 1300, DEF: 400, Level 3**

This bird is a lot smaller, and lacks the arms that _Shura_ has. _Gale's_ head is covered in teal-green feathers, and body in dark, dark-blue ones.

"…I'll go ahead and use _Gale the Whirlwind's_ ability to halve _Celestial Knight-Venus'_ power," Crow says after a few moments of considering this move.

**Celestial Knight-Venus ATK: 2200 to 1100, DEF: 1500 to 750**

"And now… I Tune my Level 3 _Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind_ with my Level 4 _Blackwing-Shura the Blue Flame_! _Blackened wings, turn into the power strong enough to control the divine winds! Synchro Summon! Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe!_"

**Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe ATK: 2600, DEF: 2000, Level 7**

The monster that appears is a lot more human-like than some of Crow's other monsters. I mean, it looks a lot like a dark-skinned man wearing some sort of skirt and golden-orange armor over his chest and shoulders. The only reasons why he looks like a bird are the two wings he has, and that one hand has talons rather than fingers.

Huh. I remember this card. Crow used it in the Battle Royale in the WRGP finals. "Glad to see I'm not the only one mixing things up," I say. "Oh, but if you think your monster is going to attack, think again! _Celestial Angel's_ other ability lets me sacrifice half my Life Points, and in return you can't attack this turn."

I wince just a little as a bolt of electricity from my angel hits me.

**Sky's Life Points: 2000**

"Hah, that's a new one!" Crow shouts. "I never would have expected you to give up that many points just to negate one attack!"

"We'll see who's laughing after my next turn," I reply, smirking.

"Mm… I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

"It's my move!" I draw my card, and smile when I look at it. "Just to make sure none of your face-downs can do anything… I activate the Spell _Giant Trunade_! Now, all of them and your _Black Whirlwind_ are returned to your hand!"

A whirlwind appears in front of me, sweeping across Crow's field and forcing all of his Spells and Traps back to his hand. _Icarus Attack_, _Mirror Force_, and _Call of the Haunted_—hah, all Traps that would have stopped my plan—are blown off the field by the whirlwind.

"Next, I activate the effect of _Celestial Knight-Venus_! Since I control another 'Celestial' monster—three of them, for that matter—I can take control of one monster you control until the End Phase. And you only have one… that's a shame," I say.

Crow scowls as my orange-armored knight charms his bird-man into coming to my side of the field. He knows, just like I do, that I've just won this Duel.

"_Blackwing Tamer-Hawk Joe_, _Celestial Knight-Venus_, and _Celestial Angel_ attack you directly!" I shout. "This is the end!"

And the end it is, after the bird-man claws, the knight slices, and the angel punches Crow.

**Crow's Life Points: 0. Winner: Sky Fudo.**

"Dammit…" Crow mumbles. "I wasn't expecting you to pull that trick. But… good game."

"It was," I agree.

The two of us turn to go inside, but something is wrong. Shoshan is standing there, because he was watching us… but Yusei isn't, and I _know_ he _was_ there a minute ago. "Shoshan, where is Yusei?"

"Huh?" He looks to his side. "I… I don't know. I didn't see him leave."

I roll my eyes. _'Alright Yusei, where are you?'_

…Is the thought I try to send out. It more or less bounces off a mental brick wall. So hard that I actually cry out in pain. "Agh! My head!"

"Sky? What's wrong?" one of the guys asks. I can't tell which one it was—or if it was both of them at the same time.

I don't answer for a moment. I try reaching out to Yusei again, but I can't even sense him. Zero, zilch, nada. Nothing. But… that can't be. That would mean he's dead, but I'm not in excruciating pain and my Signer Mark isn't being responsive—two things that would _definitely_ happen if he _is_ dead. But the only reason I can't sense him is if he is.

Just what is going on here?

**To be continued…**

Sky: Great. You just _have_ to raise more questions than answering them.

Me: Well, I'm sorry! If you don't like what I write, take it up with the muses!

Sky: …Yeah, that isn't happening any time soon.

Lucy: *Sticks tongue out at Sky* Haha, you're scared of us!

Sky: I-I am not! You're just a million times stronger than I am!

Lucy: Whimp.

Sky: Grr…

Me: Lucy, don't antagonize her.

Lucy: Fine. But only because I know you'll revoke our right for the evil ending if I don't stop.

Me: …Yes. Well. Did you like this chapter? I hope you did. I made it longer than I might have the rest because of the wait. Please, leave a review!

_PS: The "orange-haired dodo" insult belongs to Hope Hoshiko, who is awesome enough to let me use it. If you haven't checked out her stories, you need to. She's an amazing writer._


	3. Chapter 3: Grim Confusion

Me: Hey! I'm back!

Sky: …I still hate you.

Me: *Shrugs* Well, this chapter isn't going to make you like me again then.

Shade: This chapter was quite fun, actually.

Lucy: Yeah, but you _had_ to play the final tier of Dancing Mad from _Final Fantasy VI_ for _two full hours_ while we wrote it?!

Shade: …

Me: Oh! Sorry, that was me. Recent obsession with a game I haven't even played.

Lucy: Can you turn it off? …For the record, I blame that song for any crazy stuff in this chapter. And that one idea I told you about yesterday.

Me: *Facepalm* Okay. Alright. Got it. *Turns off music*

Sky: I was _wondering_ where that crazy music was coming from.

Me: Eh. Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs! Here's the chapter you're all waiting for!

**Chapter 3**

"What do you _mean_, you can't sense him?" Crow asks.

"Exactly what you think it does," I reply, exasperated. "It's like he doesn't exist. I can't explain it any other way."

It's been almost half an hour since we realized Yusei was missing, and we're trying to figure something out on our own. Somewhat because of some lingering distrust in Sector Security, but mostly because the rule is that the person has to be missing for at least three hours before we can report it. Absolutely nothing has come up, despite all of our efforts.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Yusei just became the newest victim of the vanishing Duelists/spectators… If he is, then I can only hope he's okay. That's actually what has me worried the most. No one knows what happens to the people who vanish, or even _how_.

…Except Yusei thinking that it has something to do with the issue at his work.

That… gives me an idea. I bet Yusei's shared whatever theories he's created with his coworkers, since they have whatever sort of security clearance is necessary to hear it. And who better to ask about this than…?

"Zigzix might know something," I say.

"Who?" Crow asks. Shoshan mimics his confusion.

Ah, that's right, they've never met him. "Before Yusei went into the field, and after Zero Reverse, Dr. Zigzix was the man who ran the Ener-D Reactor. …His sanity is questionable, but now he's one of Yusei's coworkers."

Crow's face scrunches up, and he asks, "Wait… is that the guy who likes to spin a lot when he explains stuff?"

"Yes," I reply, "you've met him?"

"Briefly, back during the Ark Cradle incident."

Huh. I didn't know that. Then again, I never really _did_ get their side of the story… "Well, anyways, I think he might know something. This morning, Yusei told me he thinks the issue at his work has something to do with the vanishings. If that's the case, then we need to find out what the problem is."

"Why wouldn't Yusei tell you what it was, though?" my orange-haired, grey-eyed friend asks. "I mean, Yus' would never hide something without a reason to."

"He kept saying it was classified or something," I answer. "Apparently Sector Security doesn't want word to get out about it. Could cause mass panic, according to them."

"Like what, a second Zero Reverse?" Crow jokes.

"I don't know…"

"Er… if Sector Security is keeping it under wraps… why not ask them about it?" Shoshan offers. "That way, it technically wouldn't be illegal."

"That's… actually a good idea," I admit. Why didn't _I _think of that?

"Heh, and I know just who to ask," Crow adds.

**XXX**

I'd completely forgotten that my bird-named friend had been a highway patrolman before joining that Dueling team in America. As it turns out, this works highly to our advantage, since a handful of Sector Security officers owe him a favor or two. It doesn't take too long, waiting outside, until he's out and grinning at us. The signal that he got what we need. He holds up something that looks like an ID Card.

"Okay, so I only managed to get one card for 'proper clearance'," Crow says, handing me the card, "and I put it in your name."

"Alright, thanks Crow," I reply.

**XXX**

About an hour later, I manage to meet up with Zigzix. He had to finish a few things before he could talk to me, which is why it took an hour. But that doesn't really bother me, just as long as I get my answers.

We're in his office now. It's really similar to Yusei's, except slightly more organized, and with more pictures of his family.

"So, what was it you needed to see me about?" Zigzix asks.

"Yusei disappeared," I say bluntly. No use beating around the bush.

"Oh dear," he says, rearranging his orange glasses. "Are you certain he didn't just go to make a sandwich?"

"Yes," I reply. "Crow and I were Dueling, and Yusei was watching us along with Shoshan. When we finished, Yusei was gone. I tried to sense him, but… there was just… a void."

"That makes things even worse," the brown-haired man says.

"About that… Yusei told me, before he disappeared, that there was an issue here that might have something to do with the disappearances."

"I'm afraid I can't-"

"Don't worry, I have clearance," I interrupt, showing him what Crow got from Sector Security. "Please, tell me what you know."

Zigzix inspects the card, and nods. "Alright, I will. You'll have to come with me, though. It's easier to explain when I can show you what I mean."

**XXX**

And he ruins my thoughts on him being normal after about two seconds. Seriously, all we do is get into the room that controls what the Reactor does, and he's already spinning like a maniac. "Yes, yes, you know that there is a safe level for the energy the Reactor releases, correct?" he asks.

"Of course," I reply, "I'm not an idiot."

"Look at this," Zigzix says, pointing to a screen that has several different vertical bars on it. They're all fluxuating a little, and there is a thin, white horizontal line several inches above the several bars. "The colorful bars you see here signify the energy the Reactor is releasing at this moment. That line above that is where the amount of released energy becomes dangerous."

"Don't tell me the issue—"

By some weird stroke of fate, all of the bars suddenly spike up, surpassing the white line. At the same time, several alarms start ringing.

"Alain! Claire!" Zigzix calls out the door. "I need your help in here!"

"Yes sir!" two adults, about my age, run in. The man—Alain, I assume—has brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses, so I can't see his eyes, and the woman—Claire—has red hair and bright blue eyes.

They must be assistants here.

I try to say something, or move toward the exit. I have no reason to be here. I don't know how to fix this. But I can't move. The only thing I can do is stand, frozen, staring at the Reactor like a deer in headlights. Heck, I can hardly breathe.

And… I don't think it's because this is more or less reminding me of the event that killed my parents.

It's because, if I look close enough, in between the crackling energy, I swear I see a shadow. The silhouette of some sort of dragon…

Time seems to unfreeze when I blink, and the shadow vanishes. But it freezes again when I hear a voice whisper, _"You'll never see your brother again, tiny one."_

I want to shout back at that voice. "As if!" I'd say. "There is _nothing_ that will keep me from finding him!" Still, I can't say so much as one word.

"_Never, ever, again…"_ the voice taunts, laughing slightly. I'm pretty sure, by the laugh, that the voice belongs to a male. _"Perhaps… we'll do the same to your boyfriend…?"_

My boyfriend? Could that voice be talking about Shoshan? But he isn't my boyfriend… _even if I want him to be_… He—it—they?—couldn't _possibly_ be talking about him.

Just like that, it's over. The alarms cease, the energy in the Reactor stops going nuts, and the three scientists heave sighs of relief.

"What… what was that?" I ask.

"The, ah, issue that's been repeating itself these last few weeks," Zigzix says. "Claire, Alain, you can go now. Thank you both."

"You're welcome, Zigzix," the redhead chimes. She starts to leave, but stops and says, "Oh! Almost forgot some paperwork I was going to do tonight." Hurrying back in, she grabs a stack of papers off of one of the control panels… and then she looks at me. "You… weren't supposed to see that."

"It's alright. I have clearance," I reply, holding up the card again.

Claire shrugs, and runs out the door. Apparently the other assistant already left.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting _that_," Zigzix says. "Er, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Huh?" I blink, and the world clicks back into place. I shake my head, "I'm fine."

"Hmm…" he hums, like he doesn't believe me. "Ah! Well, anyways, that was the error we've been having to deal with, and, well…" He rubs the back of his head, "Do I really need to explain why Sector Security thought that would create mass panic?"

"Nope," I reply. Me, of all people, would understand. "Alright, so that's the issue. What does it have to do with anyone disappearing?"

"That's where it gets… strange," he says. "Your brother suspected some sort of creature was coming to this world from another every time it happened, and would take someone back. He never could figure out _why_, if that's even the case."

"_You'll never see your brother again, tiny one,"_ the voice echoes in the back of my mind.

If that was Yusei's theory, I doubt it was that far off.

**XXX**

"So… let me get this straight," Shoshan says. "The Reactor has been going haywire for the past few weeks, and each time it's done that, someone's disappeared?"

"Not only that, but you heard a voice from who-knows-where saying that Yusei's gone for good?" Crow adds.

"It said that I'd never see him again, but yeah, that's exactly what I learned," I say.

It's almost eleven at night now, and I just told my two friends what I learned from Zigzix. It makes even _less_ sense than when I first learned about it—at least the voice part. The Reactor sending off excess energy makes sense. …It's dangerous, but it makes sense at least.

"Well, fat chance! I'm not gonna let some 'voice' tell me Yus' is gone!" Crow shouts, slamming his hand onto the table.

"I agree," I say.

"What can we do now, though?" Shoshan asks.

"I-I dunno! _Something_!" Crow exclaims.

"It's already eleven. How about we talk about this in the morning?" I ask.

The two agree with me, and we all head to bed. I linger at my doorway for a moment, contemplating to go after Shoshan—I hadn't told either of them the _other_ thing the voice said—but chicken out and head into my room instead.

In all honesty, I probably should have gone to Shoshan. Because the torment doesn't seem to end once I go to sleep. In fact, that's really where it starts.

**XXX**

An empty void. That's where I am. Okay, not an _empty_ one, but all I can see around me is darkness. Nothing else—I can't even _hear_ anything closeby. Not even the _hint_ of something being near me, until…

"Hello again, tiny one," a deep voice cackles. A deep voice that feels so familiar, I should _know_ who it belongs to… but I can't place it.

"Who are you?" I shout. "And what have you done to my brother?!"

Another laugh, but definitely from someone or something new. It sounds female. "Aw, look at this poor human! So defenseless… oh! I could kill her right now!"

"How dare you? I'm not defenseless!" I scream.

"I beg to differ…" the female voice says.

"Oh no you don't!" the male voice growls. "She's mine!"

"I'm neither of yours!" I shout.

A powerful burst of electricity runs through my body, and brings me to my knees. "You are my enemy, and I'll be the one who makes you suffer! Not her!"

"Tsk, tsk, _fine_," the female voice admits defeat.

"What do you two want?!" I hiss.

"To warn you that… you should give up," the deep voice says. "If you don't, well… Your missing brother or the Ener-D Reactor will both be the least of your worries."

And just like that, I'm jerking awake in my bed, the dream over. It_ was_ just a dream, right?

The pounding of my heart says no, even if I want it to say yes. Yes, it was just a dream… but it wasn't.

That's when I recognize the deep voice. It's the one that caused me to fake my death, all those years ago. The one that threatened to kill my friends and brother if I didn't leave.

If I'm dealing with _him_… Yusei might have a countdown over his head.

And so might everyone else I know.

**To be continued…**

Me: …And with that, I leave you for over a week!

Sky: Wait, what? You can't just end it there! And why a week?

Me: I'm going to camp. No Internet access, in addition to the general use of electronics being banned.

Sky: …You suck.

Me: Wait until I reveal a MAJOR plot twist in the Crimson Feathers-verse. Tell that to me _then_.

Sky: Great… great…

Me: Okay, well, I'll be gone this whole week. Still, that shouldn't keep you guys from reviewing! So please do so!


	4. Chapter 4: Flickering Sparks

Me: Okay, so this chapter was written by all of my muses except for Lucy, so it shouldn't be completely full of evil…

Rudolph: Arf? Arf?

Me: Oh, Sky is… otherwise indisposed. Lucy as well.

Shade: Ah, that. Are you going to need me to fetch them anytime soon?

Me: No. You know what Lucy will try to do if you try to stop her.

Shade: …Just give me that one broomstick you got a few years ago from a reviewer. I can handle myself—and Lucy's fire.

Me: *Shrugs, and hands Shade the broomstick* Suit yourself.

Shade: *Disappears*

Me: Okay. Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and a lot of what's going on in here. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, we pretty much eat in silence. None of us have any ideas on what to do. It would help if we know who is behind this, or where they are, but we have nothing.

"C'mon, someone _has_ to have _something_," Crow says abruptly, breaking the silence.

"But we don't, and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about that," I snap. Then I blink, and quickly apologize. "I didn't mean to shout. Sorry."

"It's fine," he waves it off. "You've got the right to be angry."

I sigh, plant my elbows on the table, and bury my face in my hands. "Not at my friends, it doesn't."

The fact remains that we have no leads, aside from the Reactor, and that's useless. Zigzix doesn't know what's causing the problem, we don't know why or even _how_ the two creatures are using it, and we don't know how they choose their targets. I mean, _now_ I know they're messing with me, but before that? I'd never even _seen_ the people they took.

A knock on the door brings us back to reality. "I've got it," I say, jumping up and heading to the door. When I open it, I think it's Akiza for a split second—thanks to the color of the woman's hair—but her eyes are the wrong color (they match her hair, unlike Akiza's, whose are amber), and she's wearing a light-blue dress, not doctor clothes. "Mrs. Izinski? What can we do for you?"

"Oh, hello Sky, I was just looking for Akiza," she replies.

"Well, she's definitely not here. I haven't seen her since the day before last," I reply.

A look of concern crosses Mrs. Izinski's face. "You too, then…"

"Don't tell me Akiza's gone missing," I hear Crow grumble from behind me.

"It's true." The concern on her face turns to sorrow. "Hideo and I have tried calling her, but she hasn't answered."

"Tell us the whole story," I say. As an afterthought, I add, "Please?"

"Of course!" Akiza's mother replies. "She didn't come home from work this morning. At first, we thought she was just running late, but she didn't answer our calls. Then we thought she had her shift extended, but when we called the hospital, her coworkers said she definitely left. So our last thought was that she was here, with Yusei… Speaking of, where _is_ your brother, Sky?"

Silence enters the room once more, and my insides twist with worry. Again. "We don't know. He was… kidnapped. Yesterday," I say. That's the easiest way to explain it.

"_Kidnapped_?!" Setsuko Izinski exclaims, covering her mouth in surprise.

"You've seen the news, right?" I ask. "The missing Duelists? Well, Yusei joined them. It's not an accident. Someone—some_thing_—is orchestrating it all." I look at the Mark on the back of my hand and rub it with my left thumb. "They want to destroy me, and how else to do that than threaten, hurt, or even _kill_ my friends and family?" I add.

"Is… is Akiza—?"

I quickly realize that wasn't the best thing to say to her. "No, she's fine," I say. "If… something happened to her, we would know."

"Same goes for Yus'!" Crow adds.

"Okay," Setsuko says. "Ah, I have places I need to be. Call me if Akiza happens to come by!" _Or if something bad has happened to her_; the unspoken part of that statement.

"We will," I call, closing the door behind her.

"Ya really think they got her too?" Crow asks.

"I wouldn't put it past them," I reply grimly. Remembering last night, I think, _'Her countdown has begun…'_

"_Countdown for what?"_ a voice that isn't my own asks in my head. It scares me nearly half to death.

'_Reshiram! What the heck?!'_ I think furiously. _'I've been trying to contact you for over half a day, and _now_ you decide to answer me?!'_ Even then, I haven't heard from her in almost four years.

"_My apologies, little one,"_ she replies. _"I was busy with other things."_

'_Don't call me that,'_ I reply. It sounds way too much like what the male creature was calling me—tiny one—and that creeps me out. Even if Reshiram has literally only ever called me "little one". _'And what the heck could you have been _"busy"_ with? You live in my head!'_

"…_None of your concern,"_ Reshiram says.

Mhmm. That's what they always say…

"Sky? Are you alright?"

I blink. Crow's staring at me like I'm crazy, and Shoshan, with concern. "Huh? Yeah, yeah. It's just an angry Duel Spirit I'm trying to ignore."

The concern on the green-eyed man's face turns into an "are you serious?" look. Of course, since he would be able to hear the Duel Spirit too. But he says nothing, thankfully.

"Eh, whatever," Crow shrugs. "Ya looked like you were on the verge of exploding."

I shrug, and when I can tell that Crow isn't looking, I mouth, "I'll explain later," to Shoshan.

He raises an eyebrow, but nods.

**XXX**

"Later" ends up being after lunch, because we still tried to come up with something—_anything_—the entire morning. By that point, Crow throws his arms up in defeat and declares, "Screw it, I'm making myself a sandwich."

Another meal where no words are exchanged. And when it's over, I tug on Shoshan's jacket sleeve like a child trying to get the attention of their parent. "Shoshan, I want to talk to you about something."

"Eh? Oh, right," he replies.

"Need privacy or something?" Crow asks.

"Nah, I was going to go to the roof," I reply.

I can tell that sparks Crow's curiosity—the roof is pretty much designated as the place where all the important secrets come out—but he hides it pretty well, and doesn't try to stop us as I pull Shoshan to where we need to be.

As soon as we're there, Shoshan demands, "What was that about? I didn't see or hear any Duel Spirits near you, and it's _impossible_ to hide a Spirit from others who can see them."

"You haven't figured it out by now?" I ask. "Reshiram. I was talking to Reshiram, in my head." Here comes a suspicion I've had for a while now… "Just like you can, with Kyurem and Xerneas."

His eyes widen, and I guess he really _didn't_ connect the dots. "How do you know about them? You haven't even _seen_ me use Kyurem!"

"Have they told you anything about this?" I ask instead of answering his question. "Reshiram certainly has—during lunch, she told me the two creatures who took Yusei, Akiza, and all those other people are hers, Kyurem, and Xerneas' enemies." Not what their names are, but that they're her enemies.

He slowly shakes his head. "No. They only told me they would need my help at an unknown time in the future. That was when I was seven." He pauses, and then adds, "Well, they also took an extreme interest in Dueling and would tell me _how_ I was supposed to Duel. And… and… Kyurem explained these."

He shrugs off his jacket, and all the air is sucked out of my lungs. Two wings—well, they look more like blades to me—unfurl from his back. They're both made of ice, or something that _looks_ like ice, and each has two… cones that I think are supposed to be claws at the end of them. One of them is about as long as my own wings, but the other isn't even half the side.

I reach up and touch the smaller one. Cold as, well, ice. "You have wings too…" I whisper, because it's all I can manage.

"Yeah. It happened when Kyurem saved my life all those years ago," he admits. "Xerneas too. Except _his_ trait screws up my pupils—you know I wear special contacts, right? It's my natural eye color, sure, but if I didn't wear them, my pupils would look like the letter 'X'."

…

"Wait, 'too'?!" Shoshan exclaims.

Before he can say anything else, I'm spreading out my own wings. It feels nice, to have them out in the sun. I usually only have them out at night.

"…That explains why you wear shirts that should be way too big for you," he says, once the shock wears off and he quits gaping. "Can I… uh… touch one?"

"Of course. I mean, I touched yours without asking."

So he does, and draws his hand back immediately, breathing in sharply and popping his finger in his mouth. "Hot!" he simply says.

"Sorry, I guess I should have warned you they get really hot in the sun," I apologize.

Shoshan pulls his finger out of his mouth, and wipes it on his pants. "No, it's my fault. I'm sensitive to heat."

"And scared of fire. Yeah, Escolar told me."

"I'm not _scared_ of it," he protests. "It's just… bad memories."

That's something I can relate to. "Well, Kyurem or Xerneas have any words of wisdom?"

"No. Like I said, they don't really tell me anything."

'_Reshiram? How about you?'_ I ask.

"_Stay close to him, little one. He is your ally in the coming fight. …Perhaps your _only_ ally."_

"O…kay," I say. "Er… Reshiram says we're allies in the fight… against those creatures."

"Better allies than enemies," Shoshan says. "I'd kill myself if I had to fight you in a life-or-death battle."

"I know you would," I say, in a joking tone but entirely serious. There really isn't anything Shoshan won't do for me… which I think is one of the reasons I started to fall in love with him. It shouldn't be too hard to tell him that. I really want to, and there really isn't an excuse not to—I mean, we're alone and both just revealed a _major_ secret to each other—but… it feels like a million butterflies are fluttering around in my stomach. I'm too nervous to. …Dang, I'm worse than Yusei with Akiza. I never should have teased him…

"Ah, well, is that all?" Shoshan asks.

"Uh—yeah," I reply. "That's all… wait… what time is it?"

"It is…" Shoshan slides his phone out of his pocket, presses one of the buttons, and looks at it. "…1:17."

"Crap!" I exclaim. "Leo and Luna—their plane arrived over half an hour ago!"

**XXX**

We end up not having to worry, because the twins come over here anyways. I'm not going to ask how they got three suitcases and a carry-on bag in addition to themselves over here on one Duel Runner. But, hey, they managed it.

Both of them have changed. A _lot_. They're both taller than Crow now (much to the ginger's annoyance). Leo still has his ponytail, but it looks like he's really pursuing a path in Dueling because he's wearing a blue Racing Suit that matches the color of his Duel Runner. Luna, on the other hand, is almost completely different. She doesn't have her hair in those signature pigtails of hers, and she's wearing a long sleeve pink shirt with really short light-green shorts.

"Leo, Luna, I'm _so_ sorry none of us met you at the airport!" I call out as I run out to greet them. "It's just, well…"

"Hey, we all get busy," Leo shrugs off my apology. "It's cool."

"It's not quite like that," I reply. "Come inside, and I'll tell you the whole story."

**XXX**

Crow ends up being the one to actually share the story, and when he finishes, Leo's in disbelief and Luna doesn't say much of anything. She just kind of hangs her head…

"Yusei and Akiza can't _seriously_ be missing!" Leo says.

"Unfortunately, it's the truth," I say. "Uh, Luna, are you alright?" I ask, when I notice she's actually mumbling something under her breath, and trembling.

The teal-haired woman looks up. Her face looks like she's seen a ghost. "Ancient Fairy Dragon… she warned us not to come back."

"Warned you? About what?" I ask.

"She told me that a great shadow is looming over the City," Luna replies, "and she… she also said that some of us are going to die if we stay here."

That's one way to worsen a bad mood. Predict the deaths of some of us.

"'Us' as in, all of our friends, or just us Signers?" I ask.

"Signers," Luna says firmly. "She said that some of the Signers are going to die." She looks away and adds, "She didn't tell me how many, or who, except… except that I'm one of them."

Great. That just makes me worry about Yusei and Akiza a million times more. "Nothing is going to kill you—or anyone else—if I have anything to say about it," I reassure her.

"That goes double for me!" Leo adds. "No—quadruple! …That is bigger, right?"

Luna smiles a little, "Thank you, both of you. And yes, Leo, quadruple is bigger than double."

An awkward silence passes, before Shoshan tries to lighten the mood by asking how the twins have been.

It doesn't really work, but I _do_ learn that Luna is doing extremely well in college—studying art—and that Leo is only one tournament victory away from being able to go pro.

Still, I can't help but have other things on my mind while they're telling me this stuff.

First, Reshiram says that Shoshan might be my only ally. Then Ancient Fairy Dragon predicting the deaths of some or all of my closest friends/brother. It can't be a coincidence.

I'll just have to be ready to stop it all. I'm not one for having the future set in stone.

**To be continued…**

Me: …Okay. I admit it, this chapter was still pretty evil even without Lucy. But at least you got some attempt at romance in it…

Joseph: Rudolph seems to like that job.

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: He does. Hmm… so, what did all of you contribute to this chapter? Just out of curiosity.

Meri and muse-Jack: We came up with the first scene.

Me: …Not surprising. What about Piano?

Joseph: She worked on Leo and Luna's appearance, and Shade did the… darker parts of that. I did the whole Shoshan-Sky roof scene with the exception of the romance part!

Me: *Nods* Huh. If only you'd let Piano and Rudolph do more. I'd like some _lighter _parts in my stories, not evil at every corner. Besides, their parts are limited only to a few paragraphs.

Meri: Heck no! I'm not giving up my ideas for theirs!

Muse-Jack: Same here!

Joseph: Eh. I'm cool with whatever.

Me: Okay, let's settle this later… So, my faithful readers, how did you like this chapter? Please, I'd love to hear what you thought, _especially_ if you have a suggestion on how to make this or any of my other stories better! Leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmarish Abyss

Me: Sorry, I got writer's block on Shimmer, so I decided to work on this instead.

Sky: Great. This one.

Me: Hey, I'll have you know… this chapter probably lives up to your expectations. But there's something I'll tell you when we get to the end that will make it a little better.

Sky: When you say it'll live up to my expectations…

Me: There's death and blood and… yeah.

Sky: Lovely…

Me: Mhmm. Well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs. Enjoy…? Oh wait! Almost forgot. When it gets to the, ah, scenes, the beginning parts that are in italics are what Sky can hear, but not see. It's also not necessarily set right before she can see the scene (as in, there could be a timeskip between the two events).

**Chapter 5**

I'm in the dark realm again. Except this time… it's a lot different. I can't sense either of the two creatures, I can move, and there are two white doors in front of me. Why the doors are there, or where they lead to, are beyond me. The only clue towards the answer is that one door has the Marks of the Head, Front Claw, and Tail on it, while the other has the Marks of the Heart, Wings, and Rear Claw.

Why the _heck_ do these doors have Signer Marks on them? What does it mean?

I'm about to touch one of the doors—the first one—when a voice says, "I would not touch that door, if I were you."

I quickly pull my hand back, and look up. Nothing is there, except more darkness. That voice… definitely male, and definitely familiar, but I just can't place it. "What do you mean? Who are you?" I shout.

"My name is not important," the voice replies, "and what I meant is that the door holds the fate of those three Signers with it. Had you touched it, and the path you walk down would involve their deaths."

"Deaths?" I'm so glad that voice warned me. Otherwise… otherwise… I look at the first door. Yusei, Luna, and Crow. If this is to be believable, then they would die. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

"You don't have to… however, one of these paths is unavoidable. You have a choice—will you walk down the path where Yusei, Luna, and Crow perish, or the path where Leo, Jack, and Akiza do?"

My breath catches in my throat, and I feel like throwing up. Of course I can't move, so I force the feeling away. "I have to…? Choose… who dies…?" I shake my head—oh, looks like I _can_ move some—fervently. "No way, I won't!"

"Hmm… but then they all die," the voice says, in the most indifferent tone possible.

"I… I can't…"

"Perhaps seeing how they die will ease your choice," the voice says. "Some are worse than others…"

The first door's Marks glow—not crimson, but black—and the door shifts positions to where it is under me. It opens, but all I can see through it is more darkness. And suddenly, I'm falling uncontrollably into it.

**XXX**

_~The first of its path… Luna~_

_"I must say… your choice on who to keep alive was interesting, Sky," the voice of the male creature says._

_"But it means more fun for me!" the female voice cackles. "Oblivion Wing!"_

…

The sensation that I'm falling doesn't stop even when my surroundings turn into a scene for me to watch. I can see myself, Leo, Shoshan, and surprisingly Jack and Carly in the downstairs of the apartment, in front of the TV. Everyone seems extremely horrified—Leo, most of all. The teal-haired man is in tears.

And then the screen of the TV comes into view.

Broken. Bloody. Bruised. Only her face looks even remotely human anymore. Even then, it's horribly disfigured. Akiza, bound and gagged, next to her. At least the magenta-haired woman is mostly uninjured.

No. That doesn't change anything. That doesn't change the fact that Luna is the one who barely resembles a human… choking as she struggles to breathe…

"Still alive, are you?" the female voice asks. "Hah! Zekrom, we should have taken the Signers earlier! They have so much more energy than those other humans." She laughs again, "Well, Oblivion Wing once again!"

Everything fades back to black, but Luna's anguished scream continues for what seems like eternity.

_~The second of its path… Crow~_

_"Crow, why did you follow us?" I hear myself ask. "This isn't your fight! It's mine and Shoshan's!"_

_"C'mon, three is better than two! And I… I really want to make Yveltal pay for what she did to Luna."_

_"We all do," Sky says, sadly. "Fine. Just stay close, alright?"_

…

The darkness pulls back to color again. This time, it's of myself, Shoshan, and Crow walking up an ancient-looking staircase made of dark stone. They all have determination written on their faces.

"Finally!" Crow exclaims as they reach the end of the staircase. "I thought those stairs would never end!"

The three of them are in some sort of decrepit stone temple, with torches on the walls being the only source of light despite the temple missing most of its roof. The room is mostly empty, the only other thing in it a marble altar on the other side of the room… with Yusei unconscious and tied to it.

"Wait!" Shoshan shouts, grabbing Sky's arm before she bolts to her brother's side. "Don't you think there could be a trap?"

"R-Right…" she admits.

"I'm not seeing any traps," Crow says, as he carefully looks around the room, "so if there is one, it's either well disguised, or, y'know, one of those classic pressure ones."

"Fine. I'll take the lead, then," Sky says, in a tone that means she isn't taking no for an answer.

She takes a cautious step forward, and another, and another… until she makes it all the way across the room. Completely unscathed. With a grin on her face, she turns around halfway and says, "Okay guys, it's safe to—ah…!"

What she sees makes her stumble backwards—revealing that the unconscious Yusei was just an illusion—and stuns her to silence.

Clutching it tightly with both hands, Shoshan has a sword that looks to be made of ice. He appears to be crying, but that doesn't make up for where the ice blade is.

Surprise. The only way the look on the ginger's face can be described. Eyes bulging, mouth in an 'O'. His gaze down, at the sword that now sticks out from his chest, blood already surrounding the wound.

"I'm sorry," Shoshan says. He pulls the blade out from Crow, red dripping from it… and the ginger crumples to the ground, completely still.

"CROW!"

I hear nothing else from this scene, as it fades away… but I can still feel the burning of tears in my eyes.

_~The third of its path… Yusei~_

_"It's bad, isn't it?" I hear myself ask. But… my voice, it sounds broken, and it's hardly above a whisper._

_"I'm afraid so, Miss Fudo," an unfamiliar male voice replies. "Dehydration, malnourishment, several broken bones, a dislocated shoulder… and those are the least of his injuries."_

_"L-Least?"_

_"The easiest way I can describe it is… Your brother is brain dead. And there is little, if any, chance of him ever waking up."_

…

The color kicks back in, but my breathing does not. Yusei… brain dead… that doesn't sound good…

"I… I… I'm going to take him off of life support."

The hospital room. Clearly an intensive care unit, with so many machines I don't even know the names of surrounding half of the bed. The other half of the bed is surrounded by people. Myself, Akiza, Jack, Leo, and Martha. Because Yusei is the one in the bed, and I'm the one who just spoke. Everyone else in the room is gaping at this Sky, most of them in shock, but Akiza in anger.

"How… how _dare_ you say that?!" Akiza asks. "You can't just give up on him!"

Sky grips the blanket tightly, bows her head, but doesn't say anything. I can see tears fall from her eyes onto the sheet.

"Akiza's right! How can you give up on Yusei? Give up on hope?" Leo adds.

"It's… it's… I have to…"

"No, you don't!" Akiza shouts.

"Yes, I do!" Sky stands up, letting go of the blanket. "Look at him, Akiza! _Look at him!_ It's been a month, and the only change that's happened is that he's gotten worse! What we're doing—it's not helping him at all!"

"Then you're a hypocrite!" the magenta-haired woman screams. "Telling us, telling _everyone_, to believe in hope, and when it really matters, just up and throwing it away!"

"Fine, I'm a hypocrite, but I'm a _reasonable_ hypocrite!" Sky counters. "He's brain dead, Akiza! Brain. Dead. Now, you understand that a whole lot better than I do, but like we all know, it's been a month!"

"That still doesn't give you the right to _order his death_!" Akiza retorts.

Sky flinches, looking away and squeezing her eyes shut. "I know." Her eyes snap open, and she continues, "But does it make a difference whether I do this or not? Even _if_ he wakes up, he's going to have permanent amnesia. He won't be the Yusei we know and love, and there won't be _any_ way to change that!"

Akiza has no response to that. All she does is storm out of the room, in tears.

"Are you really going to do this?" Leo asks.

She says nothing, but nods.

And the world spirals back into darkness.

**XXX**

The falling sensation stops, and I try to catch my breath. That last scene in particular was bad. Not to say the other two weren't—I'm still reeling from watching Shoshan murder Crow, and Luna's death wasn't much better.

"That was the first path… and here is the second."

Not even seconds later, the falling starts up again, only this time it's through the second door.

**XXX**

_~The first of its path… Akiza~_

_"Ah, your choice on who to keep alive makes sense," the male voice—if I remember correctly, he was identified as Zekrom in Luna's death scene—says. "After all, you did promise to keep her safe, didn't you?" He laughs, "Oh, but this will be so much fun!"_

_"Ooh, Zekrom, I just had an idea!" the female voice—likely Yveltal—says. "This one was known as the Black Rose Witch, wasn't she? Perhaps we should give her a fitting death?"_

_"Hmm… yes, that is a good idea," Zekrom agrees. "How did humans put the suspected witches to death, again?"_

_"By drowning, or by being burnt at the stake," Yveltal replies._

…

When the world pulls back to color, it's almost the exact same setup as what I saw with Luna's death. Me, Leo, Shoshan, Jack, and Carly, all around the TV. Only this time, no one is in tears. The horror, on the other hand, seems to have greatly increased on their faces.

"Drowning, or being burnt at the stake… hmm…" Zekrom seems to mull it over for a little bit. "Struggle but not a lot of screaming, or struggle and a lot of screaming… I like the second option better."

"No, please, don't," Sky pleads.

The TV comes into focus now. Luna is alive, her only visible injury something to do with her wrist. Akiza, on the other hand, is already tied to some sort of post, her gag removed. A pile of wood rests underneath her.

"Any last words, human?" Zekrom asks.

"…I'm sorry." And a single tear slides down her cheek.

"Then die!"

The wood ignites, and slowly starts trailing up the pole towards Akiza.

Before I see anything else, the scene turns black.

_~The second of its path… Leo~_

_"They said that they'd return her unharmed! How could we have been so _stupid_?" Leo shouts._

_"Another thing to spite me, no doubt," Sky replies. "But… still… I just can't believe Luna's in a coma, when… when I promised I'd protect her…"_

…

Before the scene flickers back to life, I can hear someone panting as they sprint somewhere. A split second later, I recognize it as myself. Running from the parking lot into the hospital, narrowly dodging others who are coming and going, ignoring people who shout at her.

She stops at the front desk. The woman behind it, a brunette with brown eyes looks up. "How may I help you?"

"Have you," Sky pauses, taking a deep breath in, "seen a young man… named Leo… come in here? Teal hair… gold eyes… wearing a blue… Racing Suit?"

"Yes, he was visiting his sister."

"Thank you," Sky says, taking off again in the direction of the stairs. She looks at her arm—and I gasp as the Mark comes into view. It's glowing, and pulses between crimson and black. "Leo…" she whispers, leaping up the last step and turning the corner out of the stairwell. Room 302—Luna's room.

I watch as she practically breaks the door down as she swings it open. In the room, Leo sits next to the bed, holding his sister's hand tightly. Both his and Luna's Marks are glowing.

"Leo! What are you doing?" Sky shouts.

"Saving Luna," he says through gritted teeth. "She—her spirit—is trapped in the Spirit World!"

"Agh…!" Sky leans against the wall, grabbing her right hand with her left as it stops pulsing, and remains a deep, deep red. "L-Leo! Stop! You'll kill yourself!" She cries out in pain again.

"No! I have to save her!"

The room explodes in a crimson light. When it fades, Sky lowers her arm… and nearly stops breathing.

Luna is sitting up. Awake. Leo, slouched back in the chair he was sitting on, head down, still holding Luna's hand tightly.

On Luna's right arm is not one, but two Signer Marks. Her own, and Leo's.

"Wh-What just happened?" Luna asks. "A-Ah! Leo!"

Sky walks over to them, slowly. She checks his pulse, and shakes her head. "Luna… I think he… I think he gave up his life to bring you back."

"No… no, he-he's… dead?"

"…Yes."

Once again, everything goes black, with the sound of Luna sobbing.

_~The third of its path… Jack~_

_"Tell me, is this really the extent of your abilities?" someone asks. The voice sounds like Jack._

_"No, it's not! I'll turn this around, and make you give me back my friend, Zekrom!" Sky shouts back._

_Ah. Possessed Jack, then. How and why I have no clue._

…

When the colors come back on, I can't comprehend what I'm seeing. Jack's Duel Runner, crushed against the side of some wall of rock, my own abandoned several feet away. Myself, pulling Jack out of the wreckage of his Runner, realizing he's not breathing, trying to perform CPR while ignoring the blood that stains her clothes and his.

Until she stands up, tears in her eyes as her Mark tells her it's too late. Standing there until Crow, Shoshan, and Carly show up at the scene.

"Sky! What's going on?" Crow asks. "Is Jack really—?"

"Jack!" Carly screams as she sees the man she loves, still on the ground, covered in his own blood. "No… no… Jack…!"

Sky turns away from them. "I… I'm sorry. I tried… I tried to save him…" She tightens her hands into fists. "And it… it's… my fault… My fault he ended up like this in the first place…"

Carly's scream still echoes even after everything turns black, and I quit falling.

**XXX**

"You've seen all of them. Now, make your choice, Sky Fudo," the voice says. "Which path do you choose?"

"I can't! I can't condemn three of my friends to death!" I shout.

"Choose, or they all die."

I close my eyes, sobbing. Jack, Leo, and Akiza, or Crow, Luna, and Yusei? I can't… I can't…

"Choose."

"I-I choose the path where Jack, Leo, and Akiza die!"

And I keep falling, into the abyss.

**To be continued…**

Sky: How many times are you going to do something like this?

Me: I dunno. As many times as my muses have ideas for.

Sky: But something's going to end up changing, isn't it? Everyone's going to live?

Me: In one path.

Sky: …What do you mean?

Me: Oh. Well, see, I really like the two different paths that the muses came up with, but you still deserve a happy ending. So… this story is going to end up having three different endings. I'll work through this one first, then go to the other evil one, and finish on a good note with the good ending.

Sky: *Facepalm* Of course…

Meri: Can we work on Shimmer now?

Me: Sure. Why not?

Meri: Yes! *Runs off to write*

Me: Well… yeah. This chapter is pretty much self explanatory and even reveals the antagonists' names (of course, you should have seen them coming). Please, leave a review and tell me how I did!


	6. Chapter 6: Unwound Memories

Me: Oh look, I'm back with an update for Midnight Sun!

Lucy: *Pouting* You didn't let me do much in this chapter… even though it was _my_ idea in the first place…

Me: It's because I need this to be the calm before the storm, so to speak. I can't have you dripping evil on everything.

Shade: Don't worry, I kept several of the ideas you told me about. Just… dumbed them down a bit to our authoress' standards.

Lucy: *No longer pouting* Really? Then start the chapter!

Me: Alright, alright, I will! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs and this story's plot! I hope you enjoy, especially since there's… well, there's _some_ comic relief in it!

**Chapter 6**

That voice. It was Rex Goodwin.

…Wait a second. What voice?

And who the heck is Rex Goodwin?

My eyes snap open, and everything gets even weirder.

A man with messy blonde hair and piercing green eyes is crouched over me, looking at me with worry, at first, and then relief. "Thank goodness… Are you alright, Sky? It sounded like you were having a nightmare."

"Why do you care?" I reply. "Who… who are you?"

The man blinks once. Twice. Three times. "What do you mean, _who am I_?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!" I shout. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my room… without a shirt on?!" Because I just now notice that the stranger isn't wearing a shirt. I feel my cheeks burn a little… okay, a _lot_… but that isn't the point!

The man puts a hand to his head. "This isn't funny, Sky—"

"And who is this 'Sky' you keep talking about?" I add as an afterthought. "My name isn't Sky, it's… it's… wait, what _is_ my name?" I gasp, as I realize I can't remember my own name. And for that matter… the room I'm in doesn't look familiar either. When I try to rack my brain for more details, I realize it's just this big haze. Nothing's there.

I can't remember anything.

**XXX**

…And that's why, several hours later, I find myself alone in a hospital room, waiting for results from several tests trying to determine the cause of my memory loss. I haven't been told much. That my name is Sky Fudo. Actually, that's really _all_ I've been told.

I sigh. It's kinda boring, lying around in a bed with no one to talk to…

"_Mistress! Are you alright?"_ a voice suddenly exclaims. "_We've been so worried—"_

"AH! What the heck are you?!" I shout, staring at… what looks like a transparent white boulder with a face. That can float.

Behind the mysterious floating rock appears—and I do mean _appears_, as in, one second it's empty space and the next second, poof! she's there—a woman with bright blue eyes, wearing intricate silver armor. She has two short swords, one in each hand.

I'm pretty sure neither of these two are supposed to be in the hospital, much less exist.

"_Meteor, the mistress seems to have lost her memories,"_ the lady knight scolds the rock. Then she turns her attention to me, and bows slightly. "_That is true, correct?"_

I nod, too nervous to speak.

"_Then I can bonk her on the head!"_ the boulder declares. "_That can bring them back, can't they?"_

The knight sighs. "_No, Meteor, that won't work."_ Looking at me again, she adds, "_I apologize for him; Meteor is… sometimes too energetic for his own good."_

"It's… fine, I think," I reply. "But… uh… I still have no idea what's going on. Who or what are you two?"

"_I am Celestial Knight-Star, and this is Celestial Meteor," _the woman replies. "_We are Duel Spirits."_

I wait several moments. "…_And_? What are those…?"

But she has no time to reply, as they both vanish the moment the door swings open. I jerk my head in the direction of the door. The woman to walk through the door has blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail, and golden eyes. She wears the white coats that all doctors seem to wear, underneath which she has black pants and a dark brown shirt.

"Dr. Izumi," I recall. She was the doctor in charge of most of my tests.

A small smile appears on her face, "Ah, good. Your short-term memory hasn't been damaged." The smile quickly vanishes. "But," she adds, "that doesn't help the fact that you can't recall anything before waking up early this morning."

"Do you know how to fix it?" I ask.

"No," she replies, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, we don't know what's even causing this. You aren't suffering from any sort of head trauma or brain damage, and no illness caused it either."

"Oh." I stare at my lap. Great, if the doctors don't know why I have amnesia…

"We're sure you'll remember everything eventually, though," Dr. Izumi adds quickly. Her tone says she doesn't entirely believe that, but she's still hoping that _is_ what happens.

"Okay, well, thanks," I say as cheerfully as I can muster. "You can, ah, send my… friends in now."

The man who'd woken me up, and the other three who had come in the room after I'd started hyperventilating at the fact that I couldn't remember anything. They had to be my friends, considering they'd all gotten worried… and brought me to the hospital in the first place…

Four people enter the room once the doctor leaves. Three men, one woman. The woman and the youngest man have to be twins, what with their similar hair and eye color—teal and gold, respectively. The man wears a blue T-shirt and jeans, while the woman has on a long sleeve pink shirt and short, olive-green shorts. The second youngest—or second oldest, because he's in the middle—has grey eyes, and wears jeans and an orange shirt that matches his hair color. He has several yellow tattoos on his face—jagged lines on his cheeks and an 'M' on his forehead.

Of course, the oldest man was the one who had woken me up. He has on a shirt now, a navy blue one with slightly torn sleeves. And he has on jeans, just like the other two guys.

I catch his eyes, but look away the second I do, trying to stop myself from blushing again. I can't remember him, but something tells me I liked him… more than a friend…

"Um… hi," I say. "I don't remember much right now, but apparently I should… eventually."

_Jack, Leo, Akiza_.

I blink. Where had those names come from? And why only three, if any of them belonged to these people? Shouldn't there be… four?

The four exchange glances. The ginger shrugs, and says, "Might as well introduce ourselves anyways." He looks at me, and grins. "I'm Crow."

"Leo," the teal-haired man says. My heart skips a beat. That's one of the names that popped into my head. "And this is my sister, Luna." He gestures to the woman.

"Hi," she says, smiling warmly.

"And… I'm… Shoshan," the blonde says. I can't help but note that it looks like it pains him to say that.

"Alright," I say. _Should I mention the other two names? They have to be important as well,_ I think. "Um… do I know someone named Jack… or… Akiza?" I ask.

All four of them look at me, surprise written all over their faces. Then Crow scowls, "What, you mean you remember _Jack_, but not any of us?"

"I-I don't know," I say. "Those two names popped into my head before you guys introduced yourselves. …Well, it was actually _three_ names, because Leo's was one of them too. But I don't know why…"

"_My_ name popped into your head too?" Leo asks, shocked.

"That doesn't make any sense," Luna says. Before her brother starts yelling at her, she adds, "You're a lot closer to the others than the two of us. And there's still the matter of Yusei…"

Yusei. That… that name… I think it rings a bell… "He's my… brother, right?" I ask.

"Yes, he is," Shoshan replies. "You… remember him?"

"Not… really," I say, staring at my lap. Cobalt blue eyes, black hair with yellow highlights, spiked kind of like a crab, a yellow tattoo similar to one of Crow's on his left cheek. "I know his face. And… his laugh. I think I can remember that much."

We're all silent for a moment. Then Crow breaks the silence, saying, "Well, at least you remember something. It's better than nothing."

"I guess…" I say. "Hey! You never answered my question! Who are Jack and Akiza?"

"Two of our other friends," Crow says. "Jack's a… well, he's a stuck-up jerk, no better way to explain it than that. Egotistical, too."

"Here, I have a picture of all of us!" Leo declares. "It's, like, eight years old so we look a lot younger, but… it'll do."

It looks like the occupants of the picture are celebrating… something. There's confetti on the outskirts of the image, and Leo and Luna—definitely younger, since they look like they're twelve or so—are spraying… clear soda on everyone? Something like that.

The adults in the picture are all in a group, and grinning. Crow's in the middle, with his arms thrown over the shoulders of the people on either side of him—Yusei's on his right, and a blue-haired man in a white-and-blue jacket with yellow trim on his other side. A tall blonde man with violet eyes wearing some sort of white suit stands behind them, a smirk on his face. A woman with magenta hair, bangs held up by a metal hair piece, and a dress of a similar color stands next to Yusei. Her amber eyes are looking at my brother, not the camera, unlike everyone in the picture (except the blue-haired man, since his eyes are shut). There are four people in a line behind the violet-eyed man. Two of them look like Shoshan—he must have a twin brother—the difference being that one of them is in blue, and the other is in black. They're in the middle of the line, the ends both being women. The right one has short brown hair and green eyes, and is also wearing black.

The other one is me. One of the first things I did after being left alone was look in a mirror, so I at least know what I look like.

"That's Jack," Leo points to the blonde-haired, violet-eyed man in white, "and that's Akiza," he points to the magenta-haired woman.

"What about the others?" I ask. "I mean, the brunette, the Shoshan lookalike, and the blue-haired man."

"Sydney's the brunette," Shoshan says. "And Escolar's my twin—the one in black."

"And the other…?"

They all look away from me. I bet that means something bad happened to him.

"Bruno," Crow says. "He's… Bruno."

"He's dead, isn't he?" I ask. That's really the only explanation I can think of, for them to all get upset at me asking about him.

"Yeah…"

**XXX**

Half an hour later, and I'm left alone to my own thoughts. And… I certainly got a lot of them.

After finding out who all of my friends are, and remembering a _few_ things, I asked why my brother, Jack, and Akiza aren't here. I got a normal answer for Jack—that he's somewhere halfway across the world.

My brother and Akiza? Not so much.

I think I've heard enough about deities of light and darkness to last me a lifetime.

But all that really matters right now is that Yusei and Akiza have been kidnapped by the dark forces, so I have to recover as fast as possible. Because I'm one of two people who can save them. Shoshan being the other.

Why did I even lose my memories in the first place? What's keeping them from returning?

"_Ah, they're all gone now."_

I almost fall off of the bed in surprise. "You're… Celestial Knight-Star… mind if I just call you Star? It's easier."

The knight bows. "As you wish."

"Okay…" I say, confused at the mannerisms of this female knight. "So, Star, why did you disappear before?"

"_Not every human being can see us,"_ she replies. "_You are one of those who can, milady."_

Us…? "You're talking about Duel Spirits, right?" I ask.

She nods. "_Indeed. We are the spirits of the cards that humans use in a game called Duel Monsters."_

That was mentioned a few times… when my friends were explaining what happened to Yusei and Akiza. "Duel… Monsters…"

"_Your own Deck is on the table next to you,"_ Star says, pointing to a stack of cards on it.

I reach out and take it, looking through what I have. Meteor and Star stand out, although there are many other monsters that look… really… familiar… Even the cards feel familiar in my hands, like I've had them since I was a child.

My head starts hurting, because so many thoughts fill my head at once. Strategies, card effects, even Duels I've been in flood my brain—although I can't see the faces of my opponents.

I blink, and the information flood stops. A smile creeps up on my face. Maybe, just maybe, if I Duel someone, I might remember more. I might even remember my entire past!

"Star, do you think—"

"_It has worked with others,"_ she says, seemingly knowing what I was going to ask. "_Let's hope it does with you."_

**To be continued…**

Me: …And that's the end of the chapter. Right?

Shade: It is.

Joseph: I can't wait to see what reviews it gets!

Rudolph: Arf! Arf!

Me: Hah, me three.

Lucy: Hmm… I like my version of this chapter better… but it's pretty cool in its own right.

Muse-Jack: Ditto.

Me: *Thinking* Wow, my evil muses are content with having a not-completely-evil chapter? What has the world come to? *Speaking* Well… uh… huh. Please, my faithful readers, leave a review! I always love it when a new one comes in!


	7. Chapter 7: King vs Queen

Me: *Humming happily, and bouncing in her seat*

Sky: What's up?

Me: The sky.

Sky: *Groans* I mean what's going on?

Me: My grandma's coming to visit us for just shy of two weeks! Tomorrow! I can't wait for her to come…

Sky: That's right, you live in different states, don't you?

Me: Yeah. She's in New York, while I'm in North Carolina.

Sky: So… I'm going with that means no more updates until she leaves?

Me: Maybe. Maybe not. It might even be longer, since next week is band camp. *Shudders*

Sky: Huh. Well, go ahead. Get this chapter out of the way, then.

Me: I will! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, but I do own my OCs! Enjoy!

***This is a random thing, but I'm going to start having each chapter be "sponsored" by some random song. Well, not _random_. Whatever one I was listening to while I wrote the chapter. So, this chapter is brought to you by… _The Extreme_, from _Final Fantasy VIII._***

**Chapter 7**

I slide off the bed, my bare feet touching the cold tiles on the floor. But that doesn't bother me. I just need to find my friends, and tell them my idea. It really could work!

Oh, but before I even get to the door, it opens up. Shoshan is the one who walks in, and he smiles a little when he sees me up. Or maybe it's the look on my face. "Did you remember something?" he asks

"Yeah!" I reply energetically. "I remember how to Duel! And I was thinking, maybe if I Duel someone I could get even more memories back!"

Leo pokes his head in from outside. "Hey, that's a great idea! I've seen it work, too!"

"You've… seen it work before?" I ask.

"Yeah! When we—I mean me and Luna—first met Yusei, he'd crashed his Duel Runner and hit his head pretty hard. But after he Dueled me, he remembered everything!" the teal-haired man answers, grinning.

"That's great! Then I have to try!" I say, clapping my hands together.

"Uh, yeah, you… um… You might want to get your clothes first," Shoshan says, his cheeks tinged pink and his ears pretty much bright red. "The hospital gown… it's not really… it doesn't… it really only covers your front."

I twist my head around, and I can vaguely see my bare back. That explains why I felt a little colder there… "Er, right. Good idea. So… where _are_ my clothes?"

He points to the bag on the floor, right next to the bed. "It should all be, uh, clean. I grabbed them from your suitcase before we came here… just in case…"

My suitcase…? That confuses me for a moment, until I remember that Shoshan said the two of us were only visiting Neo Domino City—that we actually lived in Tokyo. "Thanks, then. Just give me a minute, and I'll get changed." I pause, and add, "Does that mean I'll be able to leave the hospital?"

"Oh, yeah, I got the release papers," Shoshan replies, showing me a thin, stapled pack of papers. "That's actually what I was coming in here to tell you about."

**XXX**

After I get changed, we—well, my friends with the exception of Crow, because he's off doing _something_ else—go back home. Or, well, to my brother's apartment, but whatever. It doesn't look any more familiar than it did this morning. I really hope this works, and that I _do_ get my memory back.

I don't think I'd be able to handle being a mess of fractured memories and feelings for the rest of my life. However long that would be, if it's true that two forces of darkness want me dead.

After we got back, we had lunch. As Leo put it, "It's impossible to Duel on an empty stomach!"

And after that, we went outside, where I'm ready to Duel Shoshan.

…Except Crow barges in with two other people in tow, right when we're about to start.

The first is a woman with dark hair, her eyes hidden behind some really thick glasses. She has on an orange jacket, over a shirt with alternating blue and white horizontal stripes. Her jeans look… really new, actually. And the way she hugs her camera close, I think she might be a reporter or something.

The other is one I recognize from the picture. Jack.

I still want to know why _his_ name and not, oh, my _brother's_ popped into my head that time…

"Jack and… I'm sorry, I don't—"

"It's okay," the woman cuts me off. "I'm Carly."

I nod, "Carly. Alright, I'll remember that."

"Crow wasn't kidding," Jack says, a displeased tone to his voice. He narrows his eyes at me, and crosses his arms. "And what were you about to do here?"

"I was going to Duel Shoshan, to see if I could regain my memories that way," I explain.

He uncrosses his arms, and the hint of a smile crosses his face. "Then you'll Duel me."

"That's not—I was going to," Shoshan says. Jack glares at him, and Shoshan kind of shrinks away. "Okay… whatever…"

I shrug. "Well then, let's get started! The sooner I get my memories back, the better!"

Jack walks over to his Duel Runner, presses a button, and his Duel Disk comes off. He nods, comes back over, and he smirks. "Don't expect the King to hold back."

"I wasn't," I reply.

**Jack's Life Points: 4000, Sky's Life Points: 4000**

"I'm going first," Jack declares adamantly, making me not argue about that. He draws his card, and examines his hand. His face doesn't change, but I can see the glee in his eyes. Looks like he got a good hand… "I'll start by Summoning _Lancer Archfiend_ in Attack Mode!"

**Lancer Archfiend ATK: 1600, DEF: 1400, Level 4**

A fiend in dark purple armor that's segmented with gold appears. His head looks like a skull with the jaw wide open, but it must be some sort of helmet because there are two glowing red eyes inside the mouth. The fiend's arms are lances, from the elbow down.

"Then I'll set three cards face-down, and end my turn," he finishes.

"Alright, my move!" I draw my card, and look at my hand. I know quite a few strategies I could pull off with this… but what one feels… natural? What one would I go with, if I had all of my memories? I close my eyes, clearing out my head. _Just do it, and don't look back,_ I think. "I Summon _Celestial Knight-Mercury_ in Attack Mode!"

**Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500, DEF: 1000, Level 3**

A man in bright red-orange armor appears in front of me. His face is covered by his helm, which has several stars traced into it in a silver color. He holds a curved sword, the hilt of it the same color as his armor.

"Now, since I have a 'Celestial' monster on the field, I can Special Summon _Celestial Wizard_ to the field!" I continue.

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800, DEF: 1000, Level 4**

A young man in silver robes appears, the cowl pulled up over his head so that we can't really see his face. The wooden staff he holds in front of him is quite large, with a faintly glowing golden orb at the end of it. The orb creates a thin barrier around my other monster… who was already glowing, anyways.

**Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 1500 to 2200**

"When I have another 'Celestial' monster on the field, _Mercury_ gains 700 ATK," I explain. "And that's more than enough to do away with your _Lancer Archfiend_!"

"Not after I activate the Trap _Overgain_!" he counters. "Now my monster gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase."

**Lancer Archfiend ATK: 1600 to 2600**

I frown a little, and say, "_Celestial Wizard_ prevents my other 'Celestial' monsters from being destroyed, so _Mercury_ isn't destroyed…" But I still take the recoil damage.

The red-orange knight tries to land a blow with his sword on the purple-armored fiend, but the fiend blocks it with one of his lance-arms, and stabs at him with the other. Thanks to the barrier, _Mercury_ doesn't shatter, but he _is_ blown backwards, into me. And what surprises me is that _I can actually feel it_ and it knocks me to the ground.

**Sky's Life Points: 3600**

"Oof," I grunt, blinking away the dust and standing back up. "I thought… I thought these were holograms. Why did that hurt?"

Everyone exchanges this _look_, that implies I'm missing something important.

"This is why I wanted to Duel her, you know," Shoshan says. "I can sometimes cancel out the psychic abilities of my opponent. That way, she wouldn't accidentally hurt someone—or herself, apparently."

"Psychic abilities?" I ask.

I hold in a sigh as I get _another_ long explanation that I wouldn't have to go through if I had my memories. Yep, because I'm _definitely_ not a normal person. I _have_ to have the ability to bring pieces of cardboard to life. Although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, because of Star and Meteor showing up in the hospital… hmm…

"…and I bet you're excitement is what's causing your powers to activate."

"Right. Got it. Keep calm, and no one gets hurt," I say. This time I sigh. "Well, it's still my turn. I… I think I'll set a card face-down, and that'll be it."

"My move!" Without any hesitation, Jack draws his card. Apparently he doesn't care about the fact that I might hurt him. Oh, and this time, he really grins. Not just with his eyes. "I Summon the Tuner _Top Runner_!"

**Top Runner ATK: 1100, DEF: 800, Level 4**

A greyish robot with blue lines on it appears in front of Jack. It looks like it's geared to run, and even has a medal hanging around its neck to prove it.

I swear the air drops twenty degrees. A chill runs up my spine, and I can't seem to breathe. I know _exactly_ what's coming next, somehow. I know… I know… I _remember_…

"I Tune my Level 4 _Top Runner_ with my Level 4 _Lancer Archfiend_!" Jack shouts. Four rings, four stars. "_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"_

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, Level 8**

The black-and-red demonic dragon appears, flapping his deep-red wings a few times.

"Jack. You… I remember… you," I say, unable to take my eyes off the dragon. A grin slowly creeps up on my face. "You were originally my brother's rival, but when he didn't go pro and I did, _we_ became rivals. I just beat you in the world championships."

He scowls, "Of _course_ you had to remember that…"

"But before that, you were one of my best friends," I continue. I blink, and all of a sudden, realize my hand is glowing. Like, a bright crimson. I stare at it, about ready to ask _why the heck I am glowing_ and then remember I'm a Signer. And so is Jack, and Leo, and Crow, and Luna, and my two missing friends. Maybe the Crimson Dragon is trying to help with my memory problem…

"Okay, you remember Jack, what about the rest of us?" Crow asks.

I slowly shake my head, "No… nothing yet. I think… _Red Dragon Archfiend_ triggered my memories, somehow."

"Then if we showed you _our_ dragons, maybe you'd remember us!" Leo exclaims. He pauses and thinks things over for a moment. "Er… well, our dragons and that deer thing that's Shoshan's ace."

"Hey! _Xerneas_ is _not_ a 'deer thing'!" Shoshan shouts in protest.

"Yeah, well you'll have to wait your turn," Jack interrupts. "I've got a Duel to win still."

"We'll see about that," I reply with a grin. "Take your best shot, _King_."

He replies, "I'll do _more_ than that! I activate the Equip Spell _Megamorph_ and equip it to your _Celestial Wizard_."

"Wait, what?" Why would he…? Oh. I know.

"Since my Life Points are higher," he explains, "the equipped monster's original ATK is cut in half. It never said anything about having to put it on one of my monsters!"

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 1800 to 900**

"I'm not done yet! I activate another Spell, _Half Seize_!" Jack declares. "This halves your monster's ATK again, and I gain Life Points equal to that amount."

**Celestial Wizard ATK: 900 to 450; Jack's Life Points: 4450**

"One last thing, I activate the Trap _Assault Spirits_! Now, by equipping it to my _Red Dragon Archfiend_, I can discard a monster from my hand with 1000 or less ATK, and my dragon gains that monster's ATK during the Damage Step," he adds. "Now, _Red Dragon Archfiend_, attack with _Absolute Powerforce_!"

He reveals and discards _Dark Tinker_ first, though, granting the demonic dragon 1000 extra points.

**Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000 to 4000**

The dragon's claws become surrounded by flames, and he flies over, ripping apart the wizard. The young man in silver robes shatters, and flames rain down on me—but they aren't real, like what I can do.

**Sky's Life Points: 50; Celestial Knight-Mercury ATK: 2200 to 1500**

"Just shy of an OTK," I say. "It's too bad things are going to be different after my next turn."

The smirk already on my friend and rival's face becomes even _more_ confident. He even laughs, "You thought you were getting a next turn? No, because I still have one more card to play. The Spell _The End of Storm_."

My eyes widen. I guess I spoke a bit too soon.

"Now all monsters on the field are destroyed, and we each take 300 damage for each of our monsters that was destroyed," Jack says, confirming my fears. "But you don't have Life Points to spare, do you?"

Feh. I don't.

The Spell Card sends out several strong blasts of wind, that shatter my knight and Jack's dragon.

**Sky's Life Points: 0. Winner: Jack Atlas.**

"I'll have you know I was holding back!" I shout at him, holding up one of the cards in my hand. _Hallowed Life Barrier_. It would have prevented Jack's entire strategy.

"Hmph. I still won," he grunts in reply.

"Whatever," I grumble. But then my angry attitude slips away because now… "C'mon you guys, show me your dragons and… _Xerneas_!" I exclaim. "That'll bring my memory back!"

**XXX**

It does. Sure, there are still some fragments, and I'm only able to see _Stardust Dragon_ and _Black Rose Dragon_ in a picture, but it works. I can remember pretty much everything now, and I bet the things I don't remember aren't really important.

…Well, except for what popped into my head when I first woke up. I mean, I remember who Rex Goodwin is, but… why was I hearing _his_ voice in my dreams? Heck, what was the dream about?

Ah well. I guess I should be happy about what I _can _remember right now.

A flash of light attracts my attention, and I watch as a small, brown, furry creature with a pink bow around her tail starts jumping around in front of Luna, rapidly squealing "_Kuri!"_ over and over again. Too fast for me to be able to tell what she's saying.

"Kuribon, slow down," Luna says. "What's wrong?"

"_Kuri kuri! Kuri!"_

Star appears next to me, a grave look on her face. "_The Spirit World is under attack,"_ she says. "_That's what Kuribon is trying to say."_

**To be continued…**

Sky: …

Me: Yeah. The Spirit World's in danger.

Sky: …And you have no idea when you'll be able to update next.

Me: Mhmm.

Sky: *Sigh* Just don't go on a four month hiatus or something.

Me: I won't… it'll be maybe two weeks, if I even _do_ take a break, okay?

Sky: Feh.

Me: …Okay. Well, I hope this chapter warrants a review! They always encourage me to keep writing, regardless of how busy I get!


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